Traoré was born in Kolokani, Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group. As her father was a diplomat, she travelled widely in her youth travelling to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium. As a result of this travel, she was exposed to a wide variety of influences.
The Bambara also had a tradition of griot performing at weddings although members of the nobility such as Traoré are discouraged from performing as musicians. Traoré attended lycée in Mali when her father was stationed in Brussels and started performing publicly. As well as guitar she plays ngoni (lute) and balafon.
In 1997 she linked with Mali musician Ali Farka Touré which raised her profile. She won a Radio France Internationale prize as African discovery of 1997, an honor previously won by Mali's Habib Koité in 1993.
Her first album Mouneïssa (Label Bleu), released in late 1997 in Mali and 1998 in Europe, was acclaimed for its fresh treatment and unqualifiable combinations of several Malian music traditions such as her use of the ngoni and the balafon. It sold over 40,000 copies in Europe.
In 2000, her second album Wanita was released. Traoré wrote and arranged the whole album. The album was widely acclaimed with the New York Times nominating it as one of its critics' albums of the year.
Her 2003 album Bowmboï has two tracks recorded with the Kronos Quartet but still sung in the Bambara language, and was awarded the prestigious BBC 3 World Music Award. As of 2005, she has been nominated three times for this award.
In 2008, her latest album "Tchamantché" was released.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rokia Traoré’s Beautiful Africa will be released on April 1, 2013, by Nonesuch Records in France and April 8, 2013 in Europe, Canada and USA. The record was produced by English musician John Parish (PJ Harvey, Eels, Sparklehorse) and recorded at Toybox Studios in Bristol, UK. Its lyrics are sung in the Malian–born Traoré’s native languages of French and Bambara, as well as some English.
Pitchfork described Traoré’s most recent record, 2009’s Tchamantché, as “a guitar album of a particularly understated bent...hauntingly spare yet ridiculously well-defined, the timbre and tone of every string presented in perfect resolution.” And the BBC World Service called it “One of the best albums of the year. An absolute stunner.” Tchamantché also won a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France) and a Songlines Artist of the Year Award for Traoré.
The daughter of a Malian diplomat who was posted to the US, Europe, and the Middle East, Traoré studied sociology in Brussels before embarking on her musical career. Although based in Bamako, Traoré has, for her son’s safety, temporarily relocated to Paris due to the current conflict in Mali. Her music draws upon her homeland’s traditions as well as the European and American rock and pop she has listened to throughout her life.
Traoré has explored a breadth of directions in her career. She recently collaborated with Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison and MacArthur “Genius” Grant winning director Peter Sellars on the theater piece Desdemona. The piece premiered in Vienna in the summer of 2011 and received its New York premiere at Lincoln Center that fall; its UK premiere was at the Barbican in London in the summer of 2012. The Guardian called it “a remarkable, challenging and bravely original new work.”
The Barbican also produced a three-night series of shows by Traoré that summer, entitled Donguili – Donke – Damou (Sing – Dance – Dream). For the Sing evening, held at the Barbican, Traoré and mandolinist/former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones joined young musicians from Traoré’s training program in Mali, Foundation Passerelle. Dance, at the Village Underground rock club, featured Traoré and her band playing the high-energy, danceable shows she is well known for—joined by Parish on guitar. And for Dream, which took place in an East End theater, Traoré narrated an ancient Malian tale, with occasional musical interludes. Australia’s Sydney Festival also presented Donguili – Donke – Damou in January 2013. Traoré was awarded the inaugural Roskilde Festival World Music Award in 2009 for her work with Foundation Passerelle.
In the autumn of 2012, Traoré joined Damon Albarn’s UK train tour Africa Express, performing scheduled concerts in Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, and London as well as pop-up performances at railway stations, schools, factories, offices, shopping centers, and private homes. Other musicians on the tour included John Paul Jones, Amadou Bagayoko, Baaba Maal, and Paul McCartney.
Kanan Neni
Rokia Traoré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pepin gisong gasong
Le'le luk ele rebin ha
Maumere da gale kota Ende
Pepin gisong gasong
Le'le luk ele rebin ha
Mi fa mi fa sol
Le'le tiding fa fa
Rebing mude mi
Do do do do mi do mi do gemu fa mi re
Ele le... ele le...
La le le luk sila sol
Mi fa mi fa sol
Le'le tiding fa fa
Rebing mude mi
Do do do do mi do mi do gemu fa mi re (Mmm... Manis)
Maumere da gale kota Ende
Pepin gisong gasong
Le'le luk ele rebin ha
Maumere da gale kota Ende
Pepin gisong gasong
Le'le luk ele rebin ha
Putar ke kiri e...
Nona manis putarlah ke kiri
Ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri dan ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri manis e.
Sekarang kanan e.
Nona manis putarlah ke kanan
Ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan dan ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan manis e.
The lyrics to Rokia Traoré's song Kana Neni are primarily in an Indonesian dialect called Ende-Lio, which is spoken on the island of Flores. The song is a joyful celebration of life and love, with the lyrics referencing the beauty of nature and the sweetness of a woman. The repetition of the phrase "Maumere da gale kota Ende" could be interpreted as a call to dance and celebrate, as Maumere is a city on the island of Flores that is known for its traditional music and dance.
The verses of the song are made up of short phrases that repeat, creating a sense of cyclical motion and building momentum. The use of different vocal textures and harmonies adds depth to the song, with Traoré's smooth, soulful voice blending with the layered background vocals. The song has a sense of playfulness and spontaneity, with the chorus featuring a call-and-response section that invites the listener to join in on the fun.
Overall, Kana Neni is a vibrant and lively song that celebrates the joy of being alive and in love. The upbeat tempo, joyful lyrics, and infectious melody all combine to create a sense of exuberance that is hard to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Maumere da gale kota Ende
Let us go to Ende, passing through Maumere with the wind blowing.
Pepin gisong gasong
The waves of the sea are rock and rolling.
Le'le luk ele rebin ha
As we sail, we listen to the sound of the wind on our sails.
La le le luk sila sol
We hear the sound of the waves and feel the rhythm of the sea.
Mi fa mi fa sol
The music of the sea is like a melody we hear.
Le'le tiding fa fa
As we sail, we feel the movement of the boat on the water.
Rebing mude mi
The sound of the sails flapping is like music to our ears.
Do do do do mi do mi do gemu fa mi re
The sound of the sea and the wind is like a beautiful song.
ele le... ele le...
We hear the sound of the wind in the sails.
Putar ke kiri e...
Turn to the left, sweet girl.
Nona manis putarlah ke kiri
Oh sweet girl, turn to the left.
ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri dan ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri ke kiri manis e.
Turn left and left again, sweet girl.
Sekarang kanan e.
Now turn to the right, sweet girl.
Nona manis putarlah ke kanan
Oh sweet girl, turn to the right.
ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan dan ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan ke kanan manis e.
Turn right and right again, sweet girl.
Writer(s): rokia traoré
Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@LionessFoxy
Kanan néni, kanan m'bukò
Kanu la nyuan nèni manyi nyuan malo manyi
Ni né ma i sako kè kana kè né la kèlè yé
Ni né ma i sako kè kana né la wòyò yé
An ka bèn, bèn dé bè sigi diya
Bèn dé bè furu mé sii la, bèn dé bè kanu kè furu yé
Kanan nèni kana sòn né la maloya
Kanan nèni eé, kana m'bukò
Ni maa kèra i fè, ka da i la, ka sòn i yé suna ni fari da
Kana o sòsò, p nó nènili man kan o ni tònyòli man kan
Kana nèni oo... Kana m'bukò
Ni i ko n'kan jò né na si ka n'jò
Ni ko n'kan sigi né na si ka n'sigi
Ua an ka an ta kè kunfè taga yè, su dibi dara an'u kama
An ka an ta kè kunfè taga yé, kanu la kunfè taga yé
Eé né bè kanu barika da sabu o yé barikama yé
N'bé a daminè n'banké baga'u ta, n'fa'u a ni n'ba'u
Kanu baga bè maa ta banké baga'u fòlò
Lado baga bè maa la banké baga'u fòlò
Né baké baga'u yo a barika
Ninun bòra oladi a ni ula kan ba la
Ka kò tikè nònkòn la, Turaman
Ka ba tikè nònkòn la Turaman
Ni né yé n'banké ba'u fo ka n'somaa'u fo
Ni un ma Masambu fo, a ma dafa
Sabu ko hali ni ma fèn di né ma, i kana nyinè n'kò
Diallo, Diakité, Sidibé n'gana a ni Sangaré
Fula fin na fulaya ma tinyè fula lèra fulaya ma tìnyè
Fula dè ni a dusu bè nyuan na
Né faa Madu ko n'ka i fo, né baa Umu ko a barika
@sekoubaboune9621
Merci Rokia Traoré !!!!!!!
@elikponblanou2251
La musique Africaine, on l'aime comme elle est.
@ylbers2965
Beautiful.
@moniquedecanali6792
Une très belle personne !
@jamilaouisti2415
j'adore la musique
@matenincoulibaly3518
Tout le jours j'ai écouté Rokia Traoré
@misstee4662
❤🖤💚👑 From the States! 🎶
@Kherian888
Mes première émotions musicales furent africaines.
@adammajster5447
j’aime ta chansons
@catm7716
Magnifique. Belle artiste.